Kashmir could see a Delhi style referendum if the Aam Aadmi Party were to form the next government at the centre. In an interview with Aaj Tak's Seedhi Baat, senior AAP leader Prashant Bhushan called for a referendum in the valley to decide whether or not the Army should be deployed to deal with internal threats in Kashmir.
"People should be asked whether they want that the army to handle the internal security of Kashmir. Any decision which does not have the backing of the people is undemocratic. If people feel that the Army is violating human rights and they say they don't want the Army to be deployed for their security then the Army should be withdrawn from the hinterland," he said.
Bhushan nuanced his views adding, "The government can decide if the Army needs to be deployed to deal with external threats along the border. The government can also decide if the Army needs to be kept to help protect the minorities in the valley. But there should be a referendum on whether people want AFSPA to continue in the valley or not."
When pressed on what would happen if the referendum suggested that the people of Kashmir wanted to break away from India, Bhushan said, "Secession from India is unconstitutional. We have to find solutions within the purview of the constitution. We have to win the hearts of people in the valley who have moved away from the mainstream since they feel that they Army has been deployed in Kashmir against their wishes and is violating their human rights."
Bhushan had stirred a hornet's nest in September, 2011 when he had called for a plebiscite in Kashmir at a press conference in Varanasi and had said that Kashmir should be allowed to break away from India if Kashmiris did not want to stay as part of India. Bhushan no longer supports severing Kashmir from India but still backs the idea of a referendum on deploying the Army. Prashant Bhushan's controversial comments come on a day the Aam Aadmi Party announced ambitious plans to contest the general elections of 2014 and the party's views on national issues are now being put under intense scrutiny.
Opponents of the Aam Aadmi Party pounced on Bhushan's views on Kashmir. BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh said, "Prashant Bhushan should remember he no longer runs a NGO. Demilitarisation of Jammu and Kashmir is a language that is being spoken by separatists in Pakistan and Bhushan as a senior AAP leader is playing into the hands of the separatists by making such comments. Till the terror infrastructure in Pakistan is dismantled, any reduction in Army presence would be disastrous for the country and unacceptable to the people of India."
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abudallah's political advisor and National Conference spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq too opposed Bhushan's views. Sadiq said, "There is an elected government in J&K and they along with the centre are the best judge of whether AFSPA should be kept or removed. National Conference too believes that AFSPA can be withdrawn from some areas but why does AAP want to politicise AFSPA?"
Only Mehbooba Mufti's PDP supported Bhushan's call for a referendum on AFSPA. Party spokesperson Sameer Kaul said, "The heart and mind of AAP is in the right place. We are happy to hear about Bhushan's views that the people of Kashmir should be consulted on Army deployment."
However, senior Army officers who have served in the valley were aghast at Bhushan's call for a referendum. Former Army chief General VP Malik told Mail Today, "Prashant Bhushan has shown complete lack of awareness of the kind of situation that exists in J&K both in the hinterland and along LoC. It reflects poorly on his knowledge of politics and strategy. He has totally ignored the proxy war that Pakistan has waged over the last few decades. His comments have come as a great disappointment to people who are supportive of the Aam Aadmi Party."
Major General (Retired) GD Bakshi who commanded the Army's Romeo force in Rajouri said, "I hope Bhushan is aware that as soon as US soldiers are withdrawn from Afghanistan, terrorists will be redirected into the valley by Pakistan. I am sorry to say, this is an anti-national view. This would initiate the process of break up of the country."
Bhushan also sounded extremely confident about the prospects of the Aam Aadmi Party in the forthcoming general elections and said that there is now a very real chance that AAP may be able to form the next government at the centre. "One month ago I felt that we may be able to win around 50 seats in the general elections. But after forming the government in Delhi the response that we are getting from across the country is beyond our imagination. No limit can be drawn on the number of seats that AAP can win. Why just a simple majority, the Aam Aadmi Party could even end up with over 400 seats."
Bhushan drew a parallel with the 1977 elections held after the emergency and said that there is a wave of positive change that is blowing across the country and people now believe that AAP can clean up the corrupt politics of the country. Bhushan said, "Indira Gandhi revoked the emergency in January 1977 and called general elections in March. Who would have thought that in two months the Janata Party would be able to field candidates on every seat and that the Congress would be decimated across north India. Once people make up their minds then anything is possible."
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